The XFL today announced that Jonathan Hayes, the Cincinnati Bengals tight ends coach for the last 16 seasons and a standout NFL tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, has been named the head coach and general manager of the XFL team in St. Louis.
St. Louis, Mo., April 18, 2019 – The XFL today announced that Jonathan Hayes, the Cincinnati Bengals tight ends coach for the last 16 seasons and a standout NFL tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, has been named the head coach and general manager of the XFL team in St. Louis.
The XFL team in St. Louis will play its home games at The Dome at America’s Center when the league kicks off in February 2020.
“It’s an honor to provide Jon an opportunity to be a head coach for the first time after 37 years as a player and assistant coach in the NFL and at the college level,” said XFL Commissioner & CEO, Oliver Luck. “Jonathan comes with an offensive perspective that should help him thrive as we reimagine the game and engineer a style of play that’s fast and brisk. We are excited to welcome him to the XFL family.”
“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be the head coach and general manager of the XFL’s team in St. Louis,” said Hayes. “I spent most of my NFL playing career in Missouri, and also played college ball in the Midwest, so I know firsthand that you won’t find better football fans anywhere. We’re going to work hard and put together a team that’s fun and exciting to watch, and that the fans of St. Louis can rally around and support.”
Hayes joins Kevin Gilbride (New York), Pep Hamilton (Washington, D.C.), Bob Stoops (Dallas), Marc Trestman (Tampa Bay) and Jim Zorn (Seattle) as the XFL head coaches named to date.
Hayes was named the Bengals’ tight ends coach in 2003 and worked alongside head coach Marvin Lewis through the conclusion of the 2018 season. Before coaching in the NFL, he served as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at the University of Oklahoma for four seasons (1999-02) under head coach Bob Stoops. The 2000 Oklahoma team, with Stoops at the helm and Hayes on staff, went 13-0 and won the national championship.
As an NFL player, Hayes was Kansas City’s second-round draft pick in 1985 out of the University of Iowa. He spent nine seasons with the Chiefs before finishing his career with the Steelers (1994-96). Hayes played in 184 NFL games with 153 career receptions for 1718 yards and 13 TDs. He played in three AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl (SB XXX, Pittsburgh vs. Dallas).
In college, Hayes played tight end and linebacker at the University of Iowa (1981-84), where he was a team captain and earned first-team All-America honors as a senior. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in general studies from Iowa.
Hayes resides in Loveland, Ohio with his wife and four children.
